Stadt Saarlouis - HTW Saar
Smarter City with Umbraco
Background
As part of a 5G research project aimed at making a major city in Saarland more digital (Smart City), we had the opportunity to contribute our expertise.
The project required the development of a Progressive Web App (PWA) that allows users to switch street lighting on at certain times, as well as access real-time parking availability and traffic information.
The app is managed via a backend that provides interfaces to the city’s lighting control and parking guidance systems. It can enrich the data with custom information and offers various statistics on lamp usage and traffic patterns.
A clean network-concept and data-security was a main requirement for the customer, protecting the connection to the more or less critical APIs of the municipal utility.
The perfect job for Umbraco v15!
Solution
First, we had to connect to a REST API that provides a list of available street lamps. These lamps are displayed in a separate dashboard where they can be activated and enriched with additional information not provided by the interface (e.g., images and switching times). When a lamp is activated, a corresponding content node is created in Umbraco, linked via an ID to the lamp in the municipal utility system. Only after this activation can the lamp be controlled via the app.
The occupancy data of the parking spaces is integrated through a SOAP interface. As with the lamps, available parking spaces are first displayed in a dashboard and must be manually activated. In Umbraco’s content section, they are enriched with additional details not provided by the interface (e.g., parking fees and space types) and made visible in the app.
A separate “Statistics” section with a custom dashboard allows traffic data to be analyzed as part of the research project. CSV files can be uploaded here and are then visualized in graphical charts.
Ultimately, the content section in Umbraco is also used to manage information not coming from external interfaces — such as the welcome message and image, privacy policy, legal notice, and traffic announcements.
Impact
The city now has a powerful backend to fully control the app and manage external data. Thanks to Umbraco, the system is easily scalable and flexible. In the future, it is also planned to feed traffic information captured in the content section directly into the city’s traffic guidance system.
The backend operators are happy and satisfied with the intuitive usability we were able to implement using Umbraco.
“The development of the "my Saarlouis" platform was a complete success, to which our partner Site Point made a significant contribution. The platform was implemented precisely according to our specifications and offers a modern, high-performance solution that effectively promotes digital interaction and connectivity within the city of Saarlouis.
A particular highlight is the successful integration of various endpoints and technologies into a centralized backend. This technical architecture stands out for its seamless integration of different services and its efficient content management. Umbraco has proven to be extremely effective in this context, offering not only great flexibility but also an intuitive user interface that greatly simplifies the administration and maintenance of the platform. Another major advantage is the platform’s user-friendliness. Its clean and well-structured design ensures easy navigation for all user groups. Additionally, the well-conceived roles and permissions system allows for differentiated access control, significantly enhancing security. This guarantees secure and efficient use of the platform for all stakeholders.
We would like to express our appreciation for the professional execution by Site Point and see "my Saarlouis" as a forward-looking solution for the city’s digital connectivity. We thank you for the excellent collaboration and look forward to future joint projects.”
– Jonas Vogt, HTW Saar